7.1 Salary
7.1.1 The Salary Scale
The heart of the Calvin College Salary Plan is the flexible salary base. The salary for all instructional ranks is related to this base by means of increments (steps) of this base. The base salary is established annually by the Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of the president. When the base is changed, the salaries within all ranks are adjusted proportionally. A copy of the complete salary scale is available from the Provost's Office.
7.1.2 Initial Placement
The placement in the salary scale of new faculty members is based on their degree(s) and related experience. In other words, all faculty members are treated alike, under established rules, according to the factors mentioned below.
Education
The highest degree awarded a faculty member determines an initial percentage of base.
Master's Degree |
88% of base |
Two-Year Master's Degree |
91% of base |
Ph.D. Degree |
100% of base |
Additionally each year of graduate work beyond the Master's degree for persons without the Ph.D. degree results in an additional increment of 3.14% of base with a maximum of two such years being counted.
Experience
An additional step in the salary scale (i.e., increments of 3.14% of base) is added for each of the following:
- A full-time equivalent
year of college-teaching or administrative experience, including teaching
while in graduate school,
- A full-time equivalent year of business and professional experience, scholarship, or research directly related to the discipline taught (to a maximum of ten steps), and two-full time equivalent years of such experience after the first ten (up to five additional steps)
The Provost's Office will determine what constitutes directly related experience and which other professional experiences might be counted toward a full year's credit.
The faculty member is placed at the step corresponding to the percentage computed using the above rules subject to the ceiling that applies to the faculty member's rank.
Faculty members who complete all of the requirements for an academic degree while in the employ of Calvin College will be repositioned in the salary schedule in accord with the rules for salary placement, effective the first week of the next semester after the semester in which the requirements are completed. Completion of the requirements includes official granting of the degree or defense and acceptance of the dissertation as documented by an official communication.
7.1.3 Progression through the Scale
Each year, subject to satisfactory performance, a faculty member moves one step in the salary scale until reaching the ceiling established for his or her rank and tenure status. These ceilings are as follows:
- instructor, step f (103% of the base salary);
- untenured assistant professor, associate professor, or professor: step 21 (162.80% of base);
- tenured associate professor: step 23 (169.08% of base); and
- tenured full professor: step 26 (178.50% of base).
7.1.4 Salary for Reduced-Load Appointees
The placement and progression in the salary scale for those persons with reduced-load appointments are determined using the same rules as for those with full-time faculty appointments. In particular, a faculty member progresses one step in the salary scale (subject to the ceilings listed above) for each year of service even if it is at a reduced-load.
The salary for a given year for a reduced-load appointee is expressed as a percentage of the salary for the appropriate step. This percentage is determined by the actual amount of teaching performed by the faculty member during the academic year. The percentage is determined by multiplying the number of hours taught by 4.5% and then rounding to the nearest 5% (rounding up when necessary). For example, a person with a 12-hour load would receive 55% of the full salary for the appropriate rank and step (12 times 4.5% is 54% which is rounded to 55%).
7.1.5 Planned Medical and Family Care Leave
7.1.5.1 Salary Calculation
For the purposes of calculating a faculty member’s salary in the context of an approved planned medical or family care leave, 3 weeks of leave shall be equivalent to 2 semester hours. The percentage of total salary for the year is calculated by adding up the paid semester hour equivalents from all sources (e.g. classes taught, CRF’s, medical and family care leave, etc.) for the year. If the sum is 21 hours or more, the faculty member shall receive 100% of their full-time salary. (This cap applies only for family care leave and does not imply that 21 hours is a full load in general, see section 4.1.2.) If the sum is less than 21 hours, the sum is multiplied by 4.5% and rounded to the nearest 5% (as in section 7.1.4 above) to obtain the percentage of salary the faculty member earns for the year. The same calculation applies to regular faculty and faculty on reduced load, overload, and shared appointments. For faculty on reduced load appointments, the total salary in the year of the leave may not exceed their typical yearly compensation unless they obtain permission from their department chair and dean. A separate document lists several examples for how planned medical and family care leaves can be implemented for faculty in various situations.
7.1.5.2 Medical Leave in Summer
For the purposes of calculating a teaching load reduction that results from a medical leave, including maternity leaves, summer is defined as June 15 to August 15. The fraction of medical leave that falls before June 15 will be converted into paid semester hours for the prior academic year, according to the calculation in section 7.1.5.1. of the Handbook for Teaching Faculty. The fraction of medical leave that falls after August 15 will be converted into paid semester hours for the upcoming academic year, according to the calculation in section 7.1.5.1 of the Handbook for Teaching Faculty.
If the medical leave results from the birth of a child, the due date of the child will be used for the purposes of compensation and planning. Compensation will not be changed if the child arrives early or late. If medical emergencies arise (e.g., bedrest, premature birth, etc.), teaching assignments will be adjusted on a case-by-case basis.
7.1.5.3 Summer Courses
In the context of an approved family care leave, teaching faculty may include summer courses in their teaching load for the academic year. This option may not be available for faculty in all departments; summer courses are assigned by the department chair and an approved family leave does not imply a preemptive right to teach a summer course.
7.1.6 Payment
Faculty salaries are paid semi-monthly on the first and fifteenth of the month. If either date falls on a weekend, the payday will be on Friday. The annual salary is paid over twelve months beginning September 1.
